MAN CHARGED WITH LYING ABOUT INCIDENT MANCHESTER POLICE NEWS

A Center Street man was charged Thursday with falsely telling police that he was stabbed during an attempted carjacking near his home in February, police said.

Peter Lehmert, 36, was arrested after admitting that he was attacked while trying to buy crack cocaine in Hartford on Feb. 2.

"He had panicked knowing that he couldn't explain the assault as an attempt at a narcotics purchase and therefore had to lie," Det. Michael Morrissey said in an affidavit for an arrest warrant charging Lehmert with making a false statement and falsely reporting an incident.

Police had first interviewed Lehmert at Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he had gone for treatment for stab and slash wounds to his face, shoulder, back and hand. Morrissey said Lehmert told detectives that he had been stabbed by a man who tried to steal his car and his wallet as he approached his car behind his house at 213 Center St.

Police became suspicious of his story, however, when they found a large amount of blood and other signs of a struggle inside the car, indicating that Lehmert had been in the car and bleeding for some time. Near the car, police also found blood-soaked dollar bills and packaging commonly used for crack.

Four days after the alleged incident, Lehmert admitted to detectives that he had been stabbed in Hartford by a man from whom he tried to buy $25 worth of crack, police said. Lehmert said a fight broke out after the man handed him a rolled-up plastic bag that was supposed to contain the drug but was empty.

The drug dealer then jumped into Lehmert's car and tried to grab cash out of Lehmert's hand before stabbing him several times.

Lehmert was arrested about 8 a.m. Thursday and held in lieu of $500 bond. He was later arraigned in Manchester Superior Court.